Drying-room tumbler



Oct. 16, 1928.

E. DAVIS DRYING ROOM-TUMBLER Filed April 12, 1927 Patented a. 16, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST DAVIS, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE PROSPERITY COIIIANY, INC., OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

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Application filed April 12, 1927. Serial No. 183,195..

This invention relates to drying room tumblers of the type described in my application, Sr. No. 135,556, filed September 15, 1926, and has for its object, a particularly 6 simple and eflicient mechanism for agitating the clothes in the tumbler and for facilitating the drying thereof by means for. positively withdrawing the air from the drum in contradistinction to permitting it to ventilate it naturally from the drum and also for drying and recirculating such air.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an end elevation partly broken away and partly in section of a machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view thereof.

Figures 3 and 4 are respectively, side and end elevations of the support for the clothes.

Figure 5 is a detail view of a portion of the actuating means for the tumbler or clothes support.

Figure 6 is a plan view of parts seen in Fig- Figure 7 is a detail view of the thermostatically opefated valve and contiguous parts.

Figure 8 is anenlarged sectional view of 33 parts seen in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an elevation of the sleeve shown -in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary detail view of the valve shown in Figure 7 and the enclosing pipe.

This tumbler comprises, generally, an outer casing or drum 1 arranged with its axis in horizontal position, a clothes support 2 mounted on a shaft located in the horizontal -15 axis of the drum, means for actuating the shaft or the clothes support. means for drying the air in the drum and means for Withdrawing the moist air from the drum and disch arging it either through the drying means or into the outer atmosphere.

The drum 1 may be of any suitable form, size and construction, it being here shown as mounted upon a base 3 on which is mounted heating coils 4 which extend into the drum below the axis thereof, the drum 1 being mounted on the base or the casing for the coils 4.

The support 2 is shown as a diaphragm mounted on a shaft 5 arranged coaxially with the drum 1 and extending diametrically of the 1' drum 1 and also a semi-cylindrical cage (3 on the diaphragm, the cage'having a hinged door 7 by means of which the clothes are placed on the diaphragm. The drum 1 is also provided with a door section 8 for the purpose of permitting the opening of the door 7 "to remove and replace the clothes in the clothes supand the fork portion 11 is pivoted to a block 12 slidable in a suitable guide 13 within the actuator 10. Springs 14 and 15 act on this block 12 in opposite directions, the spring 14 abutting against the lower end of the guide 13 and the under side of the block 12, and the spring 15 abutting against'an abutment or screw 16 at its upper end in the upper end of the actuator 10 and at its lower end against the upper side of the block 12. This actuator 10 is a link and is connected at its lower end to a crank 17 mounted on a shaft 18 which is driven from an electric motor 19, the shaft 20 of which is connected by worm gearing in the casing 21 to the shaft 18.

Obviously, during the actuation of the motor, the link 10 will be reciprocated and during the upstroke of the link, the spring 14 will be compressed and when the upward movement of the link 10 ceases or slows down, 95 the spring 14 will react to give a flipping action to the clothes support 2. During the downward movement of the link 10, the spring 15 compresses and effects the flipping of the clothes support in the opposite'direc- 9" tion when the link 10 approaches the end of its downward movement. During the movement of the clothes support 2, the air within the drum 1 is circulated through the heating coils and dried.

Air is withdrawnfrom the drum by suction means here shown as a fan consisting of a rotor 22 mounted in a suitable casing 23, the

' rotor being mounted on the shaft 24 Which is connected to a shaft within the casing 21. The fan casing 23 is connected by an intakepipe 25 to a port 25, located in the upper portion of the drum 1. The fan has a discharge pipe 26 provided with branclfes 27 and 28 arranged to discharge into the outer air or back into the drum through the heating coils, the passing of the air from the fan being controlled by a thermostatically operated valve. This valve is shown as located at the juncture of the branches 27 and 28 and when set in one position deflects thecair through the pipe27 and when set in the other direction, through the pipe 28. The valve is controlled by athermostatic element 30 located in the drum, this element being of any Well known commercial form of thermostat which under the influence of heat, creates a pressure, which pressure is utilized to operate the valve.

As here shown, thethermostatic element is connected by a pipe 31 to a diaphragm chamber 32 having a diaphragm 33 therein, the motion of which under the volumetric expansion.

. and the clothes become drier, and hence as the pressure increases within the diaphragm chamber 32, the valve 34 is automatically operated by the pressure to close the branch 28 and deflect the air current created bythe fan through the branch 27 into the outer atmosphere.

The motion of the diaphragm is converted into a rotary motion and transferred to the damper or valve 34 by a reciprocating rod 35 connected to the diaphragm, the rod being slidable in a sleeve 36 mounted in a block 37 and held from endwise movement in a containing passage 38'. the rod 35 and the sleeve having coacting spiral means as a spiral groove 39 in the sleeve and a follower or stud 40 on the rod 35. The sleeve is connected to the damper 34. Obviously, during endwise movement of the rod 35 the sleeve will he rotated and hence, rotate the damper 34. However, the specific construction of the means for rotating the damper forms no part of this invention.

The casing for the heating coils 4 is provided with a suitable damper controlled air 'inlet or breather door ll which may be opened or closed more or less by hand.

What I claim is:

1. A drying room tumbler comprising a horizontal .drum, a clothes support mounted in the drum to rock about the axis of the drum and means for rocking the support including mechanism for imparting a sudden movement to the suppbrt to flip the same at the end of the oscillation of the support.

2. A drying room tumbler comprising a horizontal drum, a clothes support mounted to rock about the axis in the drum, means for rocking the support including a driven element connected to the support and a reciproeating driving element connected to the driven element and oppositely acting springs interposed between the driving and driven elements and serving to transmit the motion in opposite directions of the driving element to the driven element.

3. A drying room tumbler comprising a horizontal drum, an oscillating clothes support mounted to rock about the axis within the drum, means for rocking the support and means for drawing the air out of the drum.

4. A drying room tumbler comprising a horizontal drum, an oscillating clothes support mounted to rock about the horizontal axis with the drum, means for rocking the from'the drum being arranged to discharge into the drum.

6. A drying room tumbler comprising a horizontal drum, an oscillating clothes support mounted to rock about the axis with the drum, means for rocking the support. means for drawing the air out-of the drum, means for heating the air within the drum. the means for withdrawing the air out ofthe drum having an outlet arranged to discharge into the drum and into the outer atmosphere and a thermostatically controlled valve arranged in the discharge pipe to control the passage of the air into the drum or into the outer air.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my-name, at Syracuse. in the county of Onondaga, and in the State of New York, I 

